


Darkling

by KoroRii



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Night Encounters, Sleep Deprivation, fears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:24:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8504200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoroRii/pseuds/KoroRii
Summary: “My Darkling, we shall meet again, when the day is dead.” Orphan child Hinata Shouyou embraces darkness.





	1. 12:00 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why could no one hear him? Why must no one save him?
> 
> Why is he alone?

Hinata blinked his wide eyes open. His eyes, usually so bright and filled with an unconstrained burst of joy and life, were now dark, dazed, and spilling tears. He saw death.

This was so common it was almost routine, this nightmare. He doesn’t understand how he hasn’t gotten used to it yet. Always, at an hour unbecoming of him, he would wake with a startled gasp, narrowly escaping the demon within his dreams. He clawed at his sheets for purchase, desperate to escape this hell, and his dream clawed him back, scarring him. He shook with fear.

He whimpered, cries silent in the loud quiet of the night. He must’ve been unheard, for he called names, but no one responded.

“Daichi-san…? Tanaka-san? Noya-san!” He looked about him. “Ya-Yamaguchi…?”

Why could no one hear him? Why must no one save him?

Why is he alone?

“Why am I alone?” To the night, he asked. From the night, he was gifted with a gentle breeze, nothing. Nothing could explain the inexplicable torment that was the emptiness of his surroundings. Where was everyone?

“Why?” He reached out, let the night lift him away from his troubles, his fears, himself. Carry him somewhere safe, somewhere nice, somewhere that does not abandon things, but keeps them, adores them.

Does such a place exist? Surely not. Everywhere Hinata has gone, he’s been left behind. He doesn’t want that. Please. Do not let him fall. He must fly. He must. Be it by himself or with wings, please, allow him to escape. He doesn’t want to fall into despair. Please. Please. Please.

“Please. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

 

“But you are never alone.”

Hinata opened his eyes, realizing only now that they had been shut tight. That was why it was dark. It was still dark. But… there was a comfortable… something in the air. It wasn’t light, it wasn’t heat… it was… something. A presence that existed, but didn’t. It was like Hinata’s fears.

It was a sound. A noise. A euphonic melody that he drank in as he flailed in bleakness. It was something, it was something. How… relieving. It unsettled him, like a riddle he could not solve, but rather than fearing this curiosity, he questioned its credibility.

“Are you a monster?” Hinata asked, tilting his head at nothing.

“No.”

Hinata pondered, more awed than frightened. “Are you, perhaps, a demon?”

“That’s the same thing, you dumb ass.”

“Rude!” Hinata gasped, frowning. Who was this voice, and how dare he insult him! He hasn’t even uttered more than ten words! Hinata much rather preferred to not be called something so crude as a offensive donkey. And how dare he try to correct him with a false claim. He huffed, glaring at nothing and everything. “That’s not the same thing, you are the dumb one! Monsters are more scary and… _gwaaaaaaah_ … and demons are more… _UGYAAAAAAA!_ Didn’t you know?”

“Didn’t know that you were a dumb ass? I’ve been warned.”

“Rude!” Hinata slapped himself in agape horror. Why was he being verbally attacked? What had he done? Who had he hurt? Is this karma? Ah! Is this his conscious? Had he wronged someone? Oh! He ate Yamaguchi’s lover’s last meat pie. He was quite angry wasn’t he? He was so full of insults, it was hard to believe he kissed sweet Yamaguchi with that dirty mouth! Hinata was hypocritical to think that, because at the time, his own mouth was dirty with the remains of the dish. He was hungry, what time was it? Must be early, he’s still tired. And it’s dark.

Dark.

“Where are you?” He asked the voice. Perhaps in his mind? Nowhere? It probably doesn’t exist. But it was a question that could be answered properly.

“Next to you.”

“GAH!” Hinata started back, eyes wide and limbs animated. His blankets scrambled as his feet pushed and kicked so that he could gain distance from the unwelcomed stranger that suddenly appeared on his bed. He sat up, almost hitting his head against the wall, as he squinted in the black and gray hue of night at the black and gray beside him.

“Hush, you will awake the Light.” A shadow moved in front of him, and Hinata cowered. How was he to react to something he couldn’t see, much less touch? The shadow engulfed him, almost, but he screeched again, and it recoiled. “I said to hush!” The shadow reprimanded coarsely, moving as if to hit Hinata but the young boy hurriedly dodged into the corner his bed was tucked into.

There were many more questions, but Hinata was not a careful thinker. Quaking, he asked, “The… The ‘Light?’ Do you mean the sun?”

The shadow sighed, lowering in height. Hinata felt as if it was slouching its back and sighing into hands he could not see or feel. “No, I mean… ‘Light.’” It spoke in a tone that made Hinata feel like the dumb ass he is. He isn’t! What ‘Light?’ How extremely vague! Many things allowed him to see, like lamps, candles, flames… Or.

“Are you… ‘Dark?’” Hinata asked, his voice small. He coughed. He didn’t enjoy feeling his height.

The shadow once again swayed, moving in silence, in nothing. “Yes.” It hummed. “You catch on fast. I misjudged you.”

Hinata smiled, but it wasn’t as powerful as he had hoped. He asked something else, something stereotypical, but he desperately needed to know. “Are you bad?”

Was he alone again? He couldn’t really tell. Was the shadow just imaginary after all? Was he this needy for attention, for company, for safety? Where had his temporary comfort gone away? Why was loneliness so cold?

No.

It was warm.

“Tell me.” However, the voice, now so much closer to his ear, gave him chills. “Where do your demons and monsters hide?” Hinata shuddered. He answered, hushed, as if it was a secret. “In… In the dark?”

Chuckles. Laughter. Not the evil kind though. It wasn’t the type you heard from a villain as they slid away into the shadows. It was the light, airy kind. It was indeed warm.

“You are silly to believe that such beings hide in the dark. They exist in plain sight as well. Not everything is as it seems to be, my sun.”


	2. 11:00 PM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata spent a few seconds, minutes, eternities, to compose himself, then spoke. “It… It took little kids… It took them away… I-it… ate them… It took them away and ate them in the shadows!”

“What are you guys still doing up?” The three in the room flinched at the unrelenting tone of their eldest. The three pairs of eyes hesitantly stared back at their maturest. Daichi, proud pretend parent at only seventeen, crossed arms over his chest and all, gave them all a glare that knew would have them scared, and they were. 

“N-Noya-san was telling us a good story!” Tanaka, brave soldier he is, stood up for his adoptive siblings. Noya nodded his head energetically, his smile broad and unwavering. “You should join us, Daichi!” 

Hinata, in a worse state, had his arms around the knees that were pressed tight against him, frowning. “I-it’s not a good story! Noya-san was telling a scary story!” 

“I still don’t know how that was very scary.” Tanaka turned to the younger, confused. Noya seemed proud of himself as he poked his chest with his thumb, grinning. “I tell the best stories, Ryuu! That’s why it has so much of an impact on Hinata! Look at him, he’s near tears!” 

“He really is crying, though!” Tanaka cried, and Hinata wailed. 

Daichi sighed, obviously fed up but still as tolerant of this trio as ever. “Noya, just what kind of story did you tell that frightened Hinata so much?” He asked, crossing the room to comfort the youngest in the room, wrapping him with strong, protective arms. 

Noya pouted. “Like Tanaka said, it wasn’t that scary!” He claimed. “It was just…” 

“There was a huge monster in it!” Hinata accused, glaring through tears at the duo. 

“Monster?” Daichi asked, then turned his eyes down to look at Hinata. “What was scary about the ‘huge monster?’” 

Hinata spent a few seconds, minutes, eternities, to compose himself, then spoke. “It… It took little kids… It took them away… I-it… ate them… It took them away and ate them in the shadows!” 

Daichi blinked, then pointed a very disappointed frown at the other children in the room. “Why would you make up such a character right before bed when you know how easy it is to scare Hinata?” 

Tanaka appeared restless, glancing between Noya and Hinata, then Daichi. “B-but… Daichi-san…” 

Noya, confused, tilted his head. “But all I’ve said in my story so far was that the little boy was having a nightmare.” 

 

“Yamaguchi?” Hinata called, startling the freckled child. He was only a little taller—okay, perhaps more so than Hinata wanted to admit—so thin eyes took their sweet time when glancing down. A shaky smile formed. “H-hey, Hinata, what’s up?” 

“You! Why’re you still up?” He asked, looking at what the other orphan was doing. He gasped. “You were taking a call? This late at night?” 

Yamaguchi, unsettled, shuffled his weight on one leg, then the other, and nodded. “Y-yeah…” 

Hinata smirked knowingly, pointing a finger that made the other wince. “Was it that… What’s his face again? Tootsie?” 

Yamaguchi held the receiver close to him, twirling the cord with a finger gingerly. “Tsukki.” He corrected softly, then turned away from Hinata. “Go sleep, Hinata! You have to be up early tomorrow, right?” 

Hinata yelled way too loudly. Flailing his arms, he jumped. “Ah! You’re right!” He sprinted toward the door that led to the hall that led to the bathroom. “I’m gonna brush my teeth now! See you, Yamaguchi!” And he vanished, quietness injecting itself slowly into the room. Yamaguchi sighed, and the other end voice its concern. 

“No no, it was nothing. Just Hinata.” 

“…”

“Yes, you’re quite right. He is, isn’t he? I won’t tell him, don’t worry! I know how you despise him so, but I’d like it if you two got along.” 

“…” 

“I will. And you?” 

“…” 

Yamaguchi allowed a small smile, as well a chuckle. “Sweet daydreams to you too, my moon.” 

 

Hinata tossed and turned, kicking at his sheets, sweating just a tiny bit, yet he suffered indefinitely. 

It was another day. Bright. The sun was there. He lifted his head, then realized how wrong he was. The sky may be void, the wind may be absent, but the sun wasn’t there. Where were the clouds? 

He saw white the next minute. 

Overflowing white, copious white, white—too bright white. Hinata covered his eyes, but the white was still so blinding, so insistent! Hinata closed his eyes tight, but still, it hurt too much. 

It hurt. 

There they were. 

Something grabbed him. Twisted him. Tugged him. 

He slipped. He fell. 

He screamed. 

It hurts. 

He didn’t dare open his eyes. It would hurt. He knew this. 

He’s seen this before. 

He knows what happens. 

It’s happened again and again. 

This scene. This vision. This memory. 

This nightmare. 

He coughed. 

He was so, so tired of it. 

Let it end. 

Why him? What did he do to deserve this? 

He was already so… so… exhausted. 

Let him rest, please. Let him sleep. Wasn’t it late? 

Let it end.

“—un!”


	3. 10:00 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m telling you, Kiyoko-san told me about the rumor going around! They’re saying there is this fiend that steals children away! At night! Isn’t that simply terrifying?” The young girl cowered at her own words. “Imagine! The darkness makes it even scarier, Hinata-kun!”

Stupid. 

So, so very stupid. 

A common word for a common fool. 

“Hinata-kun, stop dreaming!” A feminine voice called to him. Immediately, he glanced upward, and met with a feminine face. Round, childlike, but reprimanding. The girl pouted. “Were you even listening to me?” 

“Ah, of course I was, Yachi-san!” Hinata said, straightening his back, though his shoulders slouched once more when the lie wasn’t bought. “Ah… what were you talking about?” Yachi huffed before continuing. 

“I’m telling you, Kiyoko-san told me about the rumor going around! They’re saying there is this fiend that steals children away! At night! Isn’t that simply terrifying?” The young girl cowered at her own words. “Imagine! The darkness makes it even scarier, Hinata-kun!” 

“Ah, you’re right!” Hinata nodded, gaining chills himself. 

“Th-that’s why!” Yachi put a brave face, but Hinata could tell she was still shaken. “Like I’ve always been telling you, stop taking walks outside at night! You’re always alone, too! Wha-wh-what if that fiend takes you away?” 

Hinata smiled, unfazed by the thought. “He won’t, Yachi-san! I’m too fast to be taken away—I’m super fast, Yachi-san! Don’t you see me run? I’ll outrun this fiend no problem!” 

“B-but that isn’t the problem here, Hinata-kun!” Yachi persisted. “Th-the problem… well, even if you do run quickly enough… he may take you by surprise in the dark, take you away while you’re alone and unaware… He’ll eat you after he takes you away into the shadows…” And she cracked. “Aaaaaaah! Too much, the fright alone is too much! I can’t take it!” 

“Y-Yachi-san?” 

“Hinata-kun!” Yachi, sweet girl she is, took Hinata’s hands and closes her own around them while tears fill her eyes. “Promise me! Promise me you won’t ever be taken away! Promise me you’ll be careful at night! It’s dangerous, yet you still go no matter what! So promise!” 

Hinata sat there, shocked and stunned by the abrupt request, by the spontaneity of it, by the relevance of it all. He should’ve listened, but he didn’t. He was stupid. 

He gave her a wide smile and nodded his head without skipping a beat. “Don’t worry about me, Yachi-san! I won’t be taken away, okay? So, cheer up.” 

Yachi looked at him. She seemed unsure. “Promise?” 

Hinata nodded again, letting his forehead rest against the small girl’s. Her blonde hair smelled of vanilla and warm pastries, and it calmed his heart. If he felt anything at that moment, he felt safe. “I promise. I’ll be so fast that not even Daichi-san can catch me.” Yachi giggled. 

 

“Oh? What’s this about me being ‘Slow, Sweaty, and Smelly?’” A voice asked from above the couple children. Startled, Hinata pushed Yachi away, though made sure he didn’t hurt her. He gaped up at his older brother. “Daichi-san!” He gawked, alarmed. “I-I-I never called you that once today!” 

“Ah, so you call me that on other days?” Hinata’s shrill squeak was all the response Daichi needed, but he wanted to torture him a little bit more. He turned to the other child. “Yachi, does he call me that?” 

Yachi’s complexion paled, and she seemed too scared to reply, but also too scared to not reply, so in a rush of jumbled vowels, she said, “O-o-o-only when you really are being slow, sweaty, and smelly!” 

Daichi made that face he made when he was mad, about to scold someone, or both. Hinata and consequently Yachi prepared for the worst. Their spirits lifted when Daichi’s did, and they visibly relaxed when he started to chuckle and laugh. Large hands pat their heads, then their shoulders, urging them to stand. 

“Alright, enough, you two. There’s lunch ready, so go on and eat the food I sweat every day for.” Once the two children stood, Hinata whispered audibly to an eagerly listening Yachi, “Do you think he sweats in the food, too?” Yachi made a face before they laughed loudly. Daichi wanted to pretend he didn’t hear, but he did, and so smacked them both lightly on the backs, hurrying them along. “Hurry up now! Before I make you both do work that’ll really make you sweaty and smelly!” Both of them expressed distaste at the notion. 

 

As Yachi walked along, she peeked up at the taller boy, then poked his arm. “Daichi-san?” 

Daichi gave her a curious smile. “Yes?” 

She pointed a finger at his shoulder. “There’s a feather on your shoulder, Daichi.” Daichi followed her gaze, and sure enough, there rests a translucent silver feather so beautiful that it appeared white when bathed in the sun. Yachi sighed gleefully. “It’s so pretty!” 

Daichi took the feather and carefully handed it to her. “Here, you can have it, since you’re pretty, too.” Yachi squealed happily before catching up to Hinata to present him the feather, and both of them admired its gentle and aesthetic quality. 

“You do know that feather is from my wings, yes?” A being just as attractive when showered in the sunlight said from his position above the very shoulder Daichi found the fallen feather on. He floated there, an existence that couldn’t—or rather, didn’t want to—leave him alone. 

“I know that very well, Suga.” Only an angel colored silver like himself could be the owner of such an alluring feather. Both successfully took his breath away. Both created this sort of aura, this atmosphere that just didn’t belong to anything that was from earth, that was mortal. 

“Are you saying I am pretty?” Suga drawled with a smile, lowering his head so that his brown eyes could meet his brown eyes. Daichi gave a bashful face, though pretended that he didn’t possess the function of being embarrassed. “Yes, you are. Very.” 

“Thank you.” Suga felt it was only right to say that. He received compliments like this quite often, but it felt light, genuine, and just oh so nice when Daichi gave them. “You are quite handsome yourself, you know.” Daichi coughed, unused to such words and only accustomed to ‘slow, sweaty, and smelly.’ He stammered a low “Thanks.” 

Suga, just like the air, just like the light, flowed gently and quietly as Daichi’s heavy steps hit the earth, both following after the children. Suga kept his eyes on one. “That is him. The one that will…” 

“Hinata?” Daichi questioned, expression darkening when Suga gave him a nod. He looked back down to the dirt, wishing that he could overcome the problems and obstacles ahead just as easily as he could walking through coarse ground. “When will he…” 

“At night.” Suga replied, without a doubt. “Just like Tsukishima.” 

“How?” Daichi asked. Suga couldn’t say, he wasn’t allowed to—he was only here to guide them, not tell them the answers. That would be cheating. Then the game would be over. “He will be called ‘Sun.’ I am sure you can figure out why.” 

Daichi stared at him for a moment before giving Suga a solemn nod. “Yeah… I think I have an idea.” 

Suga gave both him and Hinata a pitiful frown. “I am sorry. This is all I can do. And yet it isn’t much.” His wings lowered as his own feet dropped soundlessly. His hands, clenched, were against his chest, closed around the other. “I’m sorry… Lights are supposed to be knowledgeable, supposed to be wise and be able to fix any problem… they are supposed to heal anyone, yet… I am useless.”

Daichi look at Suga with a stern gaze. “Don’t.” He reached and placed his own large hand over Suga’s two, giving the gentlest squeeze. “You’re not useless. I promise. You’re doing your best, and that’s eno—more than enough.” 

Suga lifted his eyes, a color that sparkled and shimmered. It reminded Daichi of the ocean he saw when he was a mere kid while his own family was still alive. The town that sparkled with rays from the sun that stabbed the clouds, and the water that glistened with white. Just like Suga. Calm, quiet, peaceful, yet it foreshadowed an upcoming storm. 

“I do try my best… But I do doubt if it is enough. I cannot do much better, Daichi. I cannot guarantee anything.” Suga’s voice wavered. “If only… If only I had enough power, I could…” 

“Suga, my Light.” Daichi moved his hands so that palms rested on pale cheeks. Suga could not cry, but Daichi imagined that if he could, his tears would glitter. They’d be pretty. But it would still pain him. They would shine too brightly and hurt his eyes. “Stop it. You’re doing just fine. Stop talking as if everything’s failed already. There’s nothing to regret. Suga, you’re doing your best, and that’s what matters. I’m so grateful for all you’ve done so far, please understand that.” 

Suga could not blink, but if he could, Daichi imagined that his long lashes would flutter several times, batting away the tears he could not shed. The action would be captivating, to say the least, and yet Daichi would never wish for such anguish to fall on Suga again. Not as long as he was around. 

“As you say.” Suga smiled. Innocence at its finest, Daichi believed. “So, Daichi, I am ‘your’ Light now? I never knew of this.” Or so he thought. The way Suga nuzzled into his hand made him quickly recoil both of them out of hard embarrassment. His face turned an impossible red on his tan skin. 

“It just came out that way! Accidentally!” He gushed, appearing both fearful and angry with the way his eyes were blown wide and his mouth was pulled into a frown. Maybe he was. “I mean…” He quieted his train of thought, unsure and unconfident of the direction it was heading. 

Suga laughed, then placed a kiss on Daichi’s forehead. The kiss was light, as was the sensation of his lips; fluttery and flighty. “I am your Light. Yours alone, Daichi.” Daichi could not prevent the smile that grew on him. 

 

“Daichi.” Suga spoke as Daichi ate. The two quietly ate—well, only Daichi did—as they watched the children play and chat with one another on their round wooden table. Suga watched Hinata say something to Yachi and Noya, and Tanaka was there as well, though he seemed more focused on his food. “Yes?” 

“The Dark is approaching.” Suga frowned, but the action was so small that Suga’s expression still appeared blank, void of any real emotion. “He is probably already here. Though he is inactive during the day… I can’t exactly promise to stop him.” 

Daichi gulped, but it was only to swallow his food. Or so he told himself. “What will he do?” 

Suga bit his lip. He couldn’t reveal the enemy’s plans, that would be cheating. “His intentions are not bad, but they are not pure.” He said instead. “Hinata will… No, I cannot say.” 

Daichi rested a hand over Suga’s, and Suga found the action kind, and it made him warm. “It’s fine. You can’t go against the rules, and that’s fine, Suga. I’m not pressuring you to do anything, so don’t worry.” 

“You say that, but…” Suga kept his eyes on Hinata, and the boy’s would never meet his own. “It is inevitable. I will worry, because I know what awaits Hinata, what the Dark will do. Yet I… cannot do anything to change fate. It is up to him.” 

Daichi hummed, his thumb unconsciously rubbing soft circles on Suga’s skin. Suga felt it, and enjoyed the contact, but he did not say in fear that Daichi will stop. “The Dark can’t do anything either, right?” 

Suga nodded his head, lips pursed tight, eyebrows scrunched. “He cannot directly alter fate either, yet he probably can influence Hinata to a fate he does not desire. That is what I am afraid of.”

“Oh.” Daichi said simply. 

Suga lowered his eyes finally, closing them as he exhaled a quiet sigh, quiet as the breeze that flowed through his hair. 

“They exist as a pair, even if he does not make himself known. Even with the sun’s presence, there exists shadows, and there… Dark.”


	4. 09:00 PM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “For every Light, there is a Dark counterpart. We are like partners, twins that swap places when it is most convenient for us, because essentially, we exist as one. I cannot exist without him.” Suga swiped a strand of hair away, anything to keep his hands distracted so that he wouldn’t scratch at his skin. It hurt. “Together, we make a day, think of it that way. There is morning, and there is night. There is me, and there is he.”

“Time for bed!” Daichi announced over his shoulder. He turned so that he could gather the wooden blocks and toy carvings that were scattered about the room, the aftermath of a play session after their dinner and bath. However, the children in that room were far from tired. They were still lively, too lively for Daichi’s liking. He sighed, returning to the task at hand. 

“Whoosh! Look at me, Noya-san! I can fly!” Hinata proclaimed, arms outstretched and running around the room in broad, choppy circles. 

“I’m faster, though!” Tanaka argued, mimicking Hinata and indeed going faster, making smoother and larger circles. Hinata, somewhat distressed, increased his speed that his chest started heaving out frantic puffs of air in and out. Daichi admits that he had quite the energy. 

“Noya-san! We’re so fast!” Hinata shouted. “Look at how fast we’re going!” Tanaka yelled his signature howl as he ran alongside Hinata. 

Noya smirked at them, and awaited his perfect chance to perform his own infamous move. Crouching low, he waited, patient, then burst out while rolling his body. “Rolling…” His wheel of a body crashed into both Hinata and Tanaka. “Thunder!” 

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Both Hinata and Tanaka cried out as they fell to the floor, wounded and dazed. They fell atop Noya as payback, and the smallest out of the two screeched in desperation as both bodies flopped against his. “Gaaaah! You guys are so heavyyyyyy!” 

“Noya-san betrayed us! Feel the weight of your sins!” Tanaka roared. 

“We’re heavy because you betrayed us! Your sins! They’re heavy! Like us!” Hinata supplied. 

“Aaaaaaaaagh you’re on my ankle, Hinata! Get off, get off!” Noya screamed. 

“SHUT UP!” Daichi’s patience snapped, as well as his temper, and his voice portrayed that very well. The three stopped their squirming and squealing, and all three looked at Daichi as if he was on fire. They didn’t know what to do, and not sure if they could do it with what they had in the room. Hinata knew that much, and he began to sweat, nervous. 

“You all are so loud! Keep your voices low! You’ll wake Suga!” Daichi scolded, expression dark. Hinata didn’t like the expression, but it was common because they angered Daichi frequently on occasion, too much for either party’s liking. Though, his frown was not for fright or guilt, but for confusion. 

“Daichi-san, who’s Suga?” Hinata asked, blinking as he moved off of Noya, who in turn sighed in huge relief. Immediately afterward, he looked at Daichi with a similar childlike interest. 

Daichi flinched, action atypical of their older sibling. The other three in the room tilted their heads in perplexed unison. 

Tanaka looked at Daichi with a newfound respect. “Daichi-san, how dare you invite a secret lover without telling your siblings!” He gave Daichi a snide little suggestive smirk. “Were you hoping to do adult things once you made us sleep? You’re not even an adult yourself!” 

“How dirty!” Noya clapped and gave a thumbs up. “Nice, Daichi-san!” 

“Suga is your lover?” Hinata asked, innocence in his tone. His two older, more obnoxious siblings were unashamed, and he wanted details. 

Daichi inhaled, then exhaled easily. He composed himself as he straightened up, dropping the toys in a box he made for the sake of cleanliness. He gave them a small smile, but it appeared shaky. “He’s just a friend.” 

“‘He?!’” Tanaka and Noya squealed, both shocked and intrigued by the idea. Daichi, with another male? He surely had to be a pretty one that fell for Daichi’s manly exterior and interior. What a dreamy ideal that is, they both sighed contentedly. He must be cute, surely. “Can we meet him, Daichi-san? We need to meet your lover!” 

“He-he’s not my lover!” Daichi stammered, though the way his eyes looked back and forth seemed too suspicious for the claim to be true. “He’s just a friend! He needed a place to sleep, so I let him take my bed.” 

“So you’re sleepin’ together, Daichi-san?” Tanaka stood and punched the eldest’s shoulder playfully. “You go!” 

“It’s not like that!” Daichi said immediately, nudging himself away from the sneering man. “I’m sleepin’ on the floor!” 

“You have the biggest bed, Daichi-san!” Hinata said. “Why can’t you both just share it? Sleep together! I always have fun when I sleep with Noya-san!” 

“I… I want him to be comfortable.” Daichi said, patient patient patient is the way. He must be patient. “He wants to be alone right now. He needed his rest, so I’ll let him have that. I’ll be sleeping in the other room, no big deal.” 

“Ah, did you guys get into a fight?” Tanaka raised an eyebrow, face sympathetic. Daichi growled, a couple of seconds running by before he said “No.” The other three thought otherwise. 

Hinata tilted his head. “Really?” 

Daichi sighed, then smiled again. “Really.” He looked disturbed. 

 

Hinata walked down the hall for a quick toilet run. And back he was going. He tiptoed, knowing how angry it made Daichi when he was caught still awake when they already wished each other goodnight. He had no plans of sleeping early, of course, but he had to at least pretend to escape Daichi’s wrath. However, he realized, he didn’t wish Daichi that farewell this evening. A stickler for tradition, Hinata silently made his way to Daichi’s bedroom, planning to peek his head in, say ‘good night,’ then leave just as fast. Daichi seemed to be in an unhappy mood, and Hinata did not want his temper to flare any more than it already has this day. 

He slid his door open, hearing the wood rattle. “Daichi-san!” He whispered loudly. “Good ni—” 

That wasn’t Daichi. 

He didn’t realize it at first glance, but the one in Daichi’s bed looked anything but its owner. The angel was colored white, so white that it almost blinded Hinata when he stared for too long. So white that his appearance seemed flimsy and pellucid, so Hinata had to come closer to form a clearer shape of him. He stepped in, tiptoeing to Daichi’s mattress, large enough to bed the angel and his large wings that were just as pale as his skin. Hinata gasped, awed, by the beautiful oddity. 

“E-excuse me?” Hinata called. Could pretty people not hear the ugly from their high, high podium in society? Kiyoko was pretty, was that why she never acknowledges Tanaka and his advances? “Hello?” 

Eyes opened, and Hinata met with a sparkling brown. Hinata had to close his eyes, blink them, and squint before he could properly meet his gaze. His smile was just as attractive, Hinata felt drawn to him. “Why, good day, Hinata. You didn’t have a nightmare, did you?” 

Hinata’s cheeks tinted, and he quickly shook his head. “Y-you know me?” His hands did the weird thing they did when he was nervous. “Ho-how?” 

The angel giggled, soft. “Of course I know you. Daichi talks about you a lot.” 

Hinata’s face colored further. “Di-did Daichi-san say good things?” 

A moment, then, “Something about some little runt calling him ‘Slow, Sweaty, and Smelly.’” Hinata hissed like a steaming kettle. He was met with another breathy laugh, and a “I am only teasing.” 

Hinata sat on the flooring, resting his arms and head on the rough yet comfortable mattress of Daichi’s bed. “Are you Suga?” He asked. The angel nodded, the action small and weak. “Daichi said you needed your rest, sorry if I woke you up.” 

“Do not apologize.” Suga said. “I was simply recovering some strength. Daichi forced me to lay down. I honestly do not require such luxurious circumstances for such activities, but he told me that it would make him happy if I rested properly, so…” 

Hinata smiled, nodding in agreement. “I think it’s important to lay down when you need rest, too! And I like Daichi’s bed, it’s lumpy but it’s nice! Do you like it too?” 

Suga hummed, giving another pleasant smile. “It is strange, but it is nice. As is Daichi. Do you happen to know where he has gone?” 

Hinata sung his own thoughtful melody as he recalled where he saw Daichi last. “Nope! I think he went to clean out the ashes like he always does, but I didn’t see him when I was comin’ from the bathroom. Do you miss him?” 

Suga blinked owlishly, moving his head so that it faced away from Hinata. The child noticed the angel’s chest lift and fall heavily with a sigh, and he also noticed his thin fingers twitch, then eventually close into a fist. “I do.” His voice was so soft, Hinata almost felt pitiful. 

“Suga-san?” Brown eyes met him again. “Are you Daichi’s lover?” 

Hinata was surprised when the angel’s face reddened in embarrassment. Could such beings blush so red? Cheeks an impossible rose, Suga quickly diverted his gaze away from Hinata’s curious one, sputtering out a “O-of course not!” 

“But Tanaka-san and Noya-san said that Daichi-san and his lover were gonna sleep together!” Hinata explained, and Suga’s body sat up so fast that Hinata stumbled back out of raw shock. 

“Th-tha-that’s impure, Hinata!” Face a darker shade, Suga moved his hands to hide his shameful display of both humiliation and… attraction. “H-he… Daichi and I… sleeping together?! No, no, no! Th-that’s against the rules! I would be punished!” 

Hinata tilted his head, leaning forward and pouting gently. “Punished? Against the rules?” He considered the notion for a moment. “Tanaka-san did say it was weird for two boys to like each other, but…” The child’s smile was brilliant, dazzling, that Suga himself had to blink before looking. “Things like sleeping together with your lover is okay! As long as you love each other, it’s okay! That’s why everyone was happy to hear that Daichi-san has a lover. We didn’t care if he was a boy or if she was a girl, as long as he was happy, we’re happy! Even if it were against the rules, I think everyone should be happy!” 

Suga paused, opening his mouth to respond, closed it, then nudged himself away so that his back and wings rested on the wall. He exhaled. “Do you think… Daichi’s happy with me?” 

Hinata nodded his head several times. “If he really cares, then Daichi-san must be happy! Even if he gets mad sometimes, that’s because he cares! So…” He stands and takes Suga’s hand. Suga winces at first, but relaxes into the child’s comforting touch. Hinata marveled at the softness of Suga’s skin for a moment, then gave him the softest of expressions, all spoken with his eyes. “Even if he does things that doesn’t really make you happy, he only wants what’s best for you. He cares about you, Suga-san! He must be happy with you, even if it’s hard to tell.” 

“Thank you, Hinata.” Suga said. “To tell you the truth, I too—”

“Hinata.” Both turned to see Daichi at the door, crossed arms and cross expression. Both jolted away from each other, both Hinata and Suga’s wings appearing rustled and jittery. Hinata quickly and quietly excused himself, whispering a “Good night” to Daichi, which the older responded to with a curt nod. Daichi closed the door, then sighed, looking at the Light that held his hands, rubbing them slowly as if to calm himself. 

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” Daichi said truthfully, sitting down on the bed beside Suga. The being’s movements trembled so slightly, though Daichi could tell that he forced any panic down his throat with that subtle gulp. “I was… worried about you.” 

“I told you that I needed to be alone to restore my energy.” Suga said, eyes unmoving. He stared at his hands. Daichi stared there too. What was he trying to clean off of his skin? Why was he rubbing them so? 

“I told that to them, told them that you wanted to sleep alone. I guess Hinata doesn’t know how to listen.” Daichi laughed shortly. Suga uttered his own little chuckle. “The child is surely strange. He told me that it was okay for us to sleep together.” 

Daichi flinched. 

Suga bit his lip, then breathed out, “Because we’re lovers.”

Daichi coughed and punched his chest several times to calm the fit, though really it was to calm his heart. Suga’s eyes darted to him, distressed, but he again forced himself to remain calm, mouth stern. 

“What did you tell him—them, Daichi?” Suga asked, then said with the smallest voice crammed with uncertainty. “We’re not lovers.” 

“I know we’re not, they just… assumed.” Daichi corrected, voice gentle. “I didn’t tell them that we were lovers. All I said was that a friend was sleeping in my room, and they just… assumed.” 

Suga studied Daichi, intensive, questioning, before looking down, dejected. “I assumed wrongly too, then.” He whispered.

Daichi blinked. 

 

“Ah!” Suga hissed, rubbing his skin even more furiously. Just what was wrong with his hands? “Suga?” 

“He isn’t called ‘Sun’ for nothing.” Suga’s smile hurt. His hands hurt. Daichi lifted his own hands, reaching out to him, waiting for permission. When Suga allowed his touch with a nod of his head, he took each of Suga’s hands into his own and looked at them. 

They were blistered, red, and prominent against his white, porcelain skin. Where he had rubbed looked irritated, just like Suga at that moment. Never had he experienced pain like this. How could he, a Light, be burned? It was ridiculous, yet there was only one explanation for it. “The Dark is up to something.” He bit out, obviously annoyed. “He does not want me interfering. He set my own equivalent against me.” Despicable. 

Daichi gave a small frown of his own. “Why is he so against you? Don’t you both have similar goals? Why not work together? Aren’t you guys… siblings, or something?” 

Suga had to think of his response. He knew it wasn’t against the rules to explain, yet he couldn’t express it in words—these bonds, these relationships, these feelings of love and hate, of inevitability. “For every Light, there is a Dark counterpart. We are like partners, twins that swap places when it is most convenient for us, because essentially, we exist as one. I cannot exist without him.” Suga swiped a strand of hair away, anything to keep his hands distracted so that he wouldn’t scratch at his skin. It hurt. “Together, we make a day, think of it that way. There is morning, and there is night. There is me, and there is he.”

“Yet you talk like he’s an enemy.” Daichi pointed out, confused. “Is he?” 

Suga, again, didn’t think he could properly explain what he felt, but he tried anyway. “You are right to say that we have similar goals. I have said that his intentions are good, but not exactly the best. He may feel the same way about my own plans. I cannot do anything to sway him, nor can he change my own perspective. He is not pure, and neither am I.” Suga closed his eyes. “He is not my enemy, but… I regret to say we might be against each other.” 

Daichi didn’t understand it himself, but he tried anyway. “Is this a race?” 

Suga smirked. “You could say that, to some extent, it probably is.” He blew out a sigh into his hands, unsurprised to find that he could not heal his skin. “I am not confident, but against him, I must be.” 

“Doesn’t he know your next move?” Daichi asked. 

“He understands everything I do—we share senses, in human terms. He knows what I am experiencing and perceiving, and in return, he can predict my next course of action. As I can to him.” Suga giggled. “It is so simple to guess what he may do next, he is so simple-minded. It is cute.” 

Daichi laughed back. “Sounds exactly like Hinata.” 

Suga’s smile is gone. He turns to Daichi, hands once again clutched together in a worried, tight ball of emotion. “Daichi…” He began. “Would you… be able to guess Hinata’s actions? What he will do?” 

Daichi looked startled by the question, though about it for a moment, and shook his head, upset. “Not with complete accuracy, no.” He admitted. “He’s… unpredictable.”

Such an important detail Suga needed to help him was gone before it could even come to light. He sighed, hope gone. “I see.” 

“Sorry.” Was all Daichi could manage. 

“It is okay!” Suga assured, it’s just… “It’s just…” 

“Hm?” Daichi reached out for Suga’s hand, and again, Suga felt warm and light. He leaned into it, he leaned into Daichi. He breathed his scent, let it out, then let his own feelings out. He was tired, the Dark was on the move, yet he was so tired. He wanted to be alone, simply because it was easier to focus on himself when confined in solitude, but with Daichi around, he was distracted by his presence. No, that wasn’t right. All he could concentrate on was Daichi himself. He allowed himself to relax to the sounds of Daichi’s heart, Daichi’s breath, Daichi. 

“Is it not so much easier when you could predict the sun’s rise and descent?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eek it's been so long!! whoops!!  
> i've actually had this chapter written and ready to post, idk why i never did? but here it is!  
> this is the last completed chapter i've written, but i'll try my best to hurry it up!  
> thank you for reading! and sorry for any mistakes, this was unedited hehe; pls inform me if u find any!!

**Author's Note:**

> none of this is really edited, so be wary of mistakes! when you do find them, please do tell me!   
> hope you enjoy the work! ^^*)/


End file.
